Accidents can occur when a civilian vehicle driver is suddenly confronted with a rapidly traveling emergency vehicle and the associated blaring sirens and the confusion of the other civilian drivers. It would be a benefit for everyone concerned to have an emergency vehicle alert system that included a transmitter unit carried in each emergency vehicle and a receiver unit carried in each civilian vehicle wherein the transmitter units communicated to the receiver units information regarding the approach of an emergency vehicle before the sound of a siren could be heard as well as constantly updated information regarding the distance between the emergency vehicle and each of the civilian vehicles. Because it would be difficult for the emergency vehicle to transmit a signal communicating a separate distance to each and every receiver unit, it would be a benefit if the emergency vehicle alert system included transmitter units and receiver units having mechanisms for each receiver unit to determine the distance between itself and the emergency transmitter unit.